For You
by silenceeverything
Summary: 'The pain that you've been feeling can't compare to the joy that's coming.' - When their baby is placed on Hanna's chest, her and Caleb become everything either of them have ever wanted; a family. Canon with 7x20, Haleb.


So earlier this month Vanessa posted a perfect edit of Haleb and their baby girl after she was born and well I caught feels and wanted to write this. Disclaimer, I'm not a medical professional but hey it's more about the family vibes than perfect hospital info right.

Also disclaimer - I just like the name I chose for the baby and I can see Hanna and Caleb liking it too. If you don't... feel free to replace in your imagination.

Hope you enjoy...

* * *

 **For You**

 _In your eyes, I'm alive_

 _Inside you're beautiful, something so unusual_

 _In your eyes, I know I'm home_

* * *

Caleb Rivers couldn't describe the way he was feeling.

The ball of nerves in his stomach was surrounded by a sense of calm, like he was right where he was supposed to be, whilst jolts of worry surged through his body, making him question if he was doing everything he should be.

 _So this is what happens when you have a baby_ , he thought to himself, a wry smile gracing his face.

He was so ready and yet so unprepared at the same time and his mind was running at a million miles an hour trying to remember everything that had been agreed for when this moment happened.

 _This moment._ When his wife was in labour doing everything she could to bring their baby into the world safely and he was here silently rueing their Lamaze classes that he now thought were an absolute load of rubbish.

There really was nothing he could put into words about the current situation… all he knew was his heart was racing just a little bit faster than it usually did whenever Hanna Rivers was wrapped up in his arms.

He was pulled from his thoughts as she groaned against his shoulder, gripping his shirt with her fingers as she buried her head against his neck. He didn't know if he could go through another few hours of this. Seeing her in sporadic pain for the past three had been tough enough, especially when she'd insisted on staying at home as long as possible once her contractions had properly started.

"You're doing so good," He murmured, the hand that was laced through Hanna's hair doing it's best to send soothing motions through her body until he felt her relax again.

Hanna let out a deep breath before she stood back and separated from him, a hand going to her pregnant belly as if it would ease the pain, "Are you still timing them?" She asked, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She'd had the occasional dull pain in the early hours of the morning but had brushed it off as one of those unfortunate things that just came along with having a baby. But then they'd suddenly come in much closer together and when her waters had broken half an hour ago, she'd known this was definitely it.

"They're just under 5 minutes apart," Caleb glanced at his phone, "I think we should go." Hanna whimpered, hiding her eyes with her hands as she felt water begin to leak from her eyes. But Caleb was in front of her, pulling her hands away and cupping her cheeks with his own, "I know," He whispered, dropping his forehead to rest on hers, "But we said we'd go to the hospital when they were 6 minutes apart and this is pushing it baby."

"I don't want to go," She said quietly, her voice a little unstable.

"I know you hate it," He replied gently, his thumbs stroking over her cheeks, "And that place brings back memories that you never want to think about again," He whispered, "But this time, it's for the best thing ever," He added, wiping her tears as she nodded up at him, "And that's our baby."

She sniffled, but nodded again before hugging him tightly, needing his strength now more than ever, "Is my bag in the car?" She asked, her lips against the skin on his neck as her voice trembled slightly.

"It's right by the door," He dropped his lips to her cheekbone, rubbing her side comfortingly before he cupped her cheek again soothingly and stepped back to grab his wallet and phone. "We'll phone your Mom when we're there and settled," He promised her, helping her pull on her jacket. "Okay?"

Hanna nodded silently, swiping at her cheeks to rid them of any excess liquid that had slipped from her eyes as she prayed for her PTSD to not be a bitch for once and let her just have her baby in peace. Caleb moved to grab her phone that was charging on the side and handed it to her to shove in her pocket, before taking her hand in his own. "Ready?" He murmured tenderly, squeezing her fingers reassuringly before he made a move towards the door.

"Wait."

He was just about to open his mouth and reel off all the reasons why they couldn't stay in their apartment for another minute when she groaned and sunk into his body again, holding her back as a contraction rolled through her body. He held her tightly again, coaching her through it until she eventually relaxed.

He kissed the side of her face, unable to stop the smile that grew across his face, "This is the last time we leave here just the two of us," He stroked her cheek, wanting to memorise the tender moment.

"I know," She smiled at him tearfully, moving her mouth to connect gently with his. He was everything she needed right now and more.

"I love you," He reminded her, smiling as she mouthed it back before he laced their fingers again, "Let's go have a baby."

They made their way down to the car, Caleb helping her into the passenger seat before he placed her bag in the back, right next to the baby car-seat that he'd secretly practiced putting in and out every day for the past week. Hanna hadn't needed to know what he was doing in the garage; he just wanted to make sure that when he strapped his baby in for the first time he was one hundred percent certain he was taking his family home in one piece.

 _Family_ , his mind stirred as he drove them out of the garage, Hanna reaching for his hand as soon as she could so that he could still support her through her contractions. This was him, the homeless hacker boy and her, the broken beauty from an even more broken home starting their own family.

He and Hanna had had more conversations than he'd care to admit to any of his friends about how they'd right the wrongs of their parents and give their baby everything they wished they'd had. Sometimes they'd been raw and painful, others healing and loving, but either way he knew those intimate talks had only brought him and Hanna closer. He didn't think he'd ever felt this connected to her before and he never wanted that to change.

"Okay babe," He said quietly as he pulled into a parking space outside Rosewood Community Hospital. Hanna had been quiet for the duration of the ride, focusing on her breathing as she endured each contraction, but she looked at him nonetheless as they came to a stop.

"Help me down," She sent him a nervous smile, holding her precious bump as he grabbed her bag and moved round to her side to wrap an arm around her waist and support her as she stepped down from their Jeep. She really needed to convince her husband to get a more pregnant-friendly car.

Caleb guided them inside, grateful that they'd called ahead to let them know they were on the way so that he and Hanna could be taken straight up to their private room. He felt hyper-aware of the anxiety that coursed through Hanna the moment they set foot in any hospital, but the familiarity of the room that they'd toured and agreed would be right for their stay would help ease things as much as possible. And he could tell a small part of her appreciated it too - even if she did perpetually hate hospitals.

He took a backseat as one of the midwives came in and checked Hanna over once, hooking up the machine so that they could hear their baby's heartbeat. But he moved forward and they shared a tender look as it came through loud and clear, Caleb lifting their joined hands to press his lips against Hanna's soft skin.

"Sounding very healthy," The midwife, who'd introduced herself as Jess, sent them both a reassuring smile. She left the sound on as Hanna breathed through a contraction before she encouraged her to let her examine her more closely, "Hanna you're almost at 7 centimeters dilated," She said like it was something to be proud of.

But there was just a look of nervousness that flashed across Hanna's face, "Already?" Hanna asked, trepidation in her voice. She thought this was supposed to take a lot longer...

Caleb leant forward from his seat next to her, stroking her hair back from her face, "We were at home for a while," He reminded her, silently happy that things were moving quickly. It meant he didn't have to sit there for hours whilst she was in pain, feeling more helpless than he had in a long time.

"Well, it seems like you're moving at a pretty good pace," Jess said, "I'll be back in an hour to check on you again, but for now, just keep working through your contractions. I know you do have in your birth plan that you want to try and do things naturally."

"We did talk about getting Han getting an epidural later on though," Caleb started, thinking how much more relief he'd feel knowing Hanna wasn't in pain for too much longer. He opened his mouth to carry on when Hanna began to groan through a contraction, diverting all his attention to her.

"It hurts," She whimpered as he coaxed her through it.

"Breathe," He whispered comfortingly in her ear, doing what he could to provide her with as much support as possible.

They waited until the contraction lulled before Hanna spoke, "I don't want anything," She shook her head anxiously. Caleb knew what was running through her mind; the giant needle that would need to be pushed into her back to numb her lower body was just another horrible reminder of everything she'd gone through at the hands of both A and A.D.. And as much as it would provide him with more comfort, he didn't want to do anything that would send her anxiety spiraling.

"You've got gas and air right here, so let's see how things go and if we want to do an epidural later, then we can," The midwife reassured them. Hanna nodded in agreement before Jess excused herself and left them to it. Caleb was thankful for the privacy; this was the last time it would just be him and Hanna and selfishly he wanted to soak her all up whilst he still could.

He stood and moved to sit on the bed, helping Hanna to sit up more before he handed her her phone that was sat on the side. "You gonna tell the girls what's happening?" He knew how close they all were and that their friends had said more times than he could count during her pregnancy that they wanted to be at the hospital throughout Hanna's labour and birth.

"In a min—" Hanna squeezed her eyes shut, burying her head against Caleb's neck as another contraction rolled through her body.

"You're doing so good," He whispered in her ear, "So good."

"I still don't want any needles," She breathed as it finally ended, distress flashing across her face as she tried to relax back against the pillow.

"You don't have to have any," He promised her, "Now I'm gonna call your Mom okay?" He asked, waiting for her to nod before he stood up, "She's gonna kill me enough as it is that I didn't tell her when it all started."

Hanna sent him an already tired smile, reaching for his hand, "I'm glad it was just us until now."

He gave her a tender kiss, hovering near her lips, "Me too," He whispered, stealing her mouth one final time before he stepped out of the room briefly to make a phone call.

"Hey Caleb," Ashley picked up as soon as she saw his name flash across her phone. Hanna had kept her up to date enough on the twinges she'd been feeling in her back for the past week to know that the arrival of her first grandchild was imminent. The waiting was almost killing her – she wanted her grandbaby here to cuddle and love on and she wanted the eternal feeling of completeness for her daughter and son-in-law that she knew came with being a parent.

"It's time," Was all he said to send her running across the reception of The Radley towards her office.

"Where are you?" She asked, throwing her papers into her drawers and locking them shut.

"We're in the hospital," He told her, unable to wipe the grin off his face. This was really happening.

"You're in the hospital?" Ashley practically gasped as she threw her purse into her handbag before riffling around for her car keys.

"Yeah," Caleb rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "We've only been here about 30 minutes."

"What room are you in?"

Caleb glanced at the sign outside the door, just to make sure he was right, "4-27," He told her.

"I'm on my way."

He hung up and headed straight back into the room, where he found Hanna trying to climb off the bed. "Woah," He rushed forward to help her, pulling her against his chest. "What are you doing?" He whispered tenderly, his lips pressed against her hair.

"I wanted to walk around for a bit," She explained, "I think it might help."

Caleb didn't question her, trusting her judgement implicitly and taking her hand as they began to very slowly meander down the corridors of the maternity wing. He held her through her contractions, rubbing her back gently when he sensed she needed it until they'd done a full loop and were back in their room.

"There you are," Ashley greeted them with relief as Caleb pushed open the door. "I was beginning to think I'd missed it."

"We just went for a walk," Caleb sent her a smile as he helped Hanna back onto the bed – they'd been gone longer than he'd thought.

Ashley was immediately at her side, stroking Hanna's hair back from her face as her own motherly instinct clearly kicked in. "How are you doing sweetheart?"

Hanna whimpered, reaching for Caleb's hand as she felt the familiar pain ebb through her body.

"They're pretty close now," Caleb told her as Hanna focused on herself. "The nurse said we're moving at a good pace, already at 7 centimetres."

"Then not long until you get your baby," Ashley grinned at Hanna once her contraction had subsided, excitement running through her voice. "This is your final chance to guess the gender you know."

Hanna smiled at her husband as he squeezed her fingers, "I'm going girl," He said, "I know the girls are convinced it's a boy but..." He trailed off and shrugged.

"Han?"

"I think girl too," She moved a hand to stroke her bump.

"But happy either way," Caleb's smile grew on his face, dropping down to press a gentle kiss on his wife's lips.

"Super happy," She agreed quietly, keeping him close. It wasn't long until the midwife came back in to check on Hanna again, everyone sensing that they were moving pretty close to delivery. Jess examined her again and advised that she'd moved to 8 centimetres and that it wouldn't be too long until Hanna would need to start pushing. Caleb just held her through everything, only separating to momentarily greet their friends who were congregating outside in anticipation before he headed straight back in to be close to his wife again. This was their moment and he didn't want to miss a thing.

And before they knew it, Dr. Mason, Jess and another midwife were in the room too and Hanna was sitting up, bearing down as she moved through the stages of delivery. Caleb could tell she was exhausted the longer it went on, but he did his best to help her keep her body where it needed to be, focusing all his attention on her as she buried her head against his chest and gripped his shirt with her fingers, telling her how strong she was throughout, that he was right there with her every step of the way.

It felt like an eternity, but it was really only 30 minutes later that the whole room seem to be uttering the words "one more" and Hanna bit down on her lip, holding onto him for dear life before suddenly she was gasping for air in relief and the sound of a baby screaming filled the room.

Caleb held her close as the baby was placed straight on her chest, keeping her against his chest as she cried alongside their baby, everyone overwhelmed at the sudden shift in their worlds. "You did it," He murmured, kissing her sweaty hair before he laid his hand underneath hers, wanting to feel as close to their baby as he could.

"Congratulations," Jess appeared beside them, placing a blanket over the naked screaming baby in Hanna's arms and a pink hat on her head, "It's a girl."

"A girl," Caleb whispered almost silently, feeling tears well in his own eyes. There were no words to describe the sudden rush of love that had just filled his body. "Han, you did it," He repeated, feelings surging through his body.

"Hi," Hanna whimpered, her shaking hand coming up to stroke her baby girl's cheek as she quietened slightly in her arms. "We're so glad you're here," She cried, pressing a kiss against her forehead as the baby cried.

"Hi," Caleb sniffled himself, trying to keep the tears at bay, "She's so perfect," He held both of them close, taking in the moment for what it was. They were a family now and that was everything. "I love you so much," He said tenderly, choking on his words a little before he leant down to give her a gentle but lingering kiss, their salty tears of happiness mixing with their love.

"Dad, do you want to cut the umbilical chord?" Dr. Mason asked. Caleb nodded, separating from his girls for the first time before he cut exactly where he was told, taking a deep breath to collect himself and then moving back up to Hanna's side.

He was itching to get his hands on his daughter and have his first hold, but he also knew how important it was for her to get that skin-to-skin contact with Hanna straight away and he was more than willing to sit back and let them bond.

"Caleb," Hanna murmured his name, glancing up at him before her eyes were straight back on the baby in her arms, "She's got blonde hair," She smiled tearily, gently stroking the wisps that were poking out from the hat that had been placed on her head.

"She does," He dropped his lips down to Hanna's hairline, "She looks like you," He whispered, stroking the blanket with one hand as he kept his other wrapped around Hanna's shoulder.

The midwife moved closer to them again, placing wristbands on all three of them and checking over the baby before she stepped back. Ashley, who had taken herself away from the bed to give Hanna and Caleb some privacy filled the space left by Jess prompting the two of them to look up at her. "Hey Mom," Hanna smiled, her emotions becoming more under control.

"This is your granddaughter," Caleb said proudly, keeping a protective hand on the baby's stomach as she stopped her crying and settled in Hanna's arms.

"She's so gorgeous," Ashley smiled, reaching out to cup the baby's tiny hat, "I'm so proud of you," She said, her eyes watering. "Both of you," She corrected herself, prompting Hanna and Caleb to smile broadly, "And I got a hundred pictures of your three already."

The baby opened her eyes properly as she looked up at the faces taking her all in. "Hi baby," Hanna whispered, her attention going straight back to her little girl, "We're your Mom and Dad," She murmured, stroking her cheek. "And we love you so much."

"We do," Caleb echoed tenderly, stroking Hanna's hair back from her face. She'd been so strong throughout the whole thing; he couldn't have been prouder of her.

"Hanna," Dr. Mason stood, "You did a great job," She said, almost as if she'd read Caleb's thoughts. "And so did your baby girl - you're all cleaned up and placenta is here with no tears."

"I didn't even feel it," Hanna remarked.

"You were focused on something much more important," Dr. Mason smiled.

"You were so brave," Ashley said, watching as Hanna smiled tenderly down at her own daughter. "No pain meds at all."

"It was worth it."

"Now have we already got a name picked out?" The doctor asked, "If not, we can wait a little while."

"We've got a name," Hanna murmured, glancing up at Caleb who nodded at her, "This is Layla."

 _Layla_ , Caleb couldn't help but grin, leaning down to kiss the baby again. She was already his little Layla bird - the name they'd spent months deliberating and agonising over was perfect for her.

"Layla Ashley Rivers," He added, looking up at his mother-in-law to send her a wide smile.

"It's beautiful," Ashley wiped a tear from her eye, "Did I mention how proud I am?"

"Yeah," Caleb continued to grin, "You did," He said, pushing his lips against Hanna's cheekbone. "You are so amazing," He murmured, drawing her eyes to his. "I can't believe she's here."

"We did it," She sent him a watery smile again.

"We did," He said tenderly, stealing her mouth gently. "You want to try and feed her?" He asked, stroking her hair back from her face. They'd been over the birth plan enough times together for him to know exactly what order Hanna wanted things to happen in.

Hanna nodded silently, smiling down at her baby girl who was staring straight up at her, awe and wonder dancing through her eyes as she tried to take everything in. Ashley excused herself for a moment to go and grab them all a drink whilst Caleb shifted closer, watching as Hanna attempted to feed their daughter.

It took a few tries, but after a bit of help from Jess they were sharing that moment for the first time as Hanna nursed her. A wave of calm washed over the three of them as Hanna and Caleb simply took Layla in until her tiny belly was full. "Did it hurt?" He eventually asked as Hanna tentatively began to rub the baby's back.

"Not really," She said quietly, "It just feels really weird."

"Is she all done Hanna?" Jess moved over towards them. Hanna nodded, keeping her eyes on the baby, "Are we okay to take her to get weighed and cleaned up properly?" Hanna nodded again, already feeling a sense of emptiness when she was taken from her arms. "We can get you into the shower at the same time so you don't have to spend any more time away from her than you need to."

"Yeah," Hanna agreed – she really wanted to feel clean. Caleb helped her down from the bed and walked her to the shower door where she paused. "Can you go with her?" She asked, a tiny bit of worry bubbling to the surface.

"Sure," He agreed, "Let me get someone else to come help you," He stroked her back, asking another midwife to come and taken over from him before he followed Jess over to the isolette and kept an observant eye on everything as Layla was weighed, measured, cleaned up and given her Vitamin K shot.

"Okay Caleb," Jess smiled as she finally swaddled Layla up. "You ready for her?"

He swallowed, a sudden sense of nervousness coursing through his body, "Yeah," He nodded, holding his arms out for her. "I am," He said, trying to remember exactly what he'd done when he'd held Lily or Grace for the first time.

"That's perfect," Jess reassured him, placing a whimpering baby in his arms. Clearly, she hadn't appreciated that shot, he thought, instinctively drawing her into his body.

"Shh," He whispered, rocking her gently until she seemed to settle. She opened her eyes and looked up at him and suddenly the wind was knocked out of him, the air leaving his lungs as they truly connected for the first time. "Hi," He eventually found the words to speak, sending her a growing smile as she simply stared at him. "That's right," He whispered, stroking the blanket with one hand, "I'm your Dad," He murmured tenderly, "And I already love you so much."

He dropped his lips to her forehead before he watched her until her eyes dropped shut and she began to sleep in his arms. Maybe he wasn't as much of a rookie as he thought. He breathed her in by himself one final time before he made his way back over to Hanna who he was sure had been watching him once she'd climbed back into bed in a fresh pair of sweats and one of his t-shirts.

"What?" He teased as she almost broke out into a laugh, looking tired but refreshed.

She sat up a little as he came to rest next to her on the bed again, running her hand across his chest, "I was just thinking that you're a pretty hot Dad."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," She sent him a heart-stopping smile, giving him a tender kiss before her hand dropped to the bundle in his arms who was still snoozing.

She sighed contently, resting her head on his shoulder. "What are you thinking now?" He murmured.

"That this is right where we're supposed to be."

He turned his head slightly so that his eyes met hers, "It is," He agreed as she ran a tender hand across Layla's cheek. "You know all the girls are outside," He told her. "You ready to let them meet her?"

Hanna nodded, stroking his arm, "And at the end I want to ask Em."

Caleb smiled, "She'll probably cry."

"That's why she's godmother," Hanna grinned, kissing his shoulder before he carefully placed Layla in her arms and stood. He watched his girls for a moment, hoping he'd remember the picture in front of him forever. "What?" Hanna glanced up at him as she sensed his eyes on her.

"You've never been more beautiful to me," He cupped her cheek gently, drawing her eyes to his so that she could see how much he meant it. "I love you."

"We love you too," She'd never felt more beautiful than when he said those words to her.

He couldn't help but grin as she used 'we' instead of 'I'. "Okay, I had to get my soppy moment out of me but now I will go get our friends," He promised, "I'll be right back." He added before he slipped out of the room.

Hanna sighed to herself; her body had never felt so tired and yet she felt more alert than she had in a long time. She ran a finger down Layla's nose before it ghosted along her bottom lip, taking in all her precious features that she could instantly identify as her or Caleb. "Everyone's gonna love you crazy hard," She whispered to her, snuggling her close, "But not as much as me and your Daddy," She added, taking this moment for everything it was. "And I promise," She murmured one final thing before everyone piled into the room, "From now on everything's for you." She meant it.

* * *

 _Every tear, every fear, gone with the thought of you_

 _Changing what I thought I knew, I'll be yours for a thousand lives_

* * *

 **If you liked it pleeeeease review**


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